5 000-yr-old oyster shell found

A giant oyster shell thought to be more than 5 000 years old has been found in a Bangkok suburb, a geologist said on Tuesday, supporting the theory that the Thai capital was once under the sea.

About 100 pieces of 30 different types of shell were found at a building site at the Mahamakut Buddhist University in Nakhon Pathom province, which borders Bangkok to the west.

Government geologist Suwat Tiyapairath said most of the shells were from molluscs, snails and blood clams, but it was a rare giant oyster shell found 10 metres beneath the ground that had his team excited.

"This is an ancient shell, this oyster is from about 5 500 years ago," Suwat said of the discovery they made a few days ago.

The giant oyster shell was about 20cm long and 10cm wide, he said.

Some of the other shells were also believed to be about 2 000 years old, he added.

Geologists are confident that many parts of central Thailand, including Bangkok, were beneath the sea more that 5 000 years ago